The Rada Girl
by Marsh Brooks
Summary: Sabrina is in love with Peter, who's sick due to voodoo magic. Sabrina may have to give her life for him. Will She?
1. Prologue

**The Rada Girl  
><strong>A Young Adult Novel

BY

**Marsh Brooks  
><strong>All rights reserved

Prologue

To someone watching from afar, the secret meeting seemed like something usually described in spy novels, taking place very late at night in a small one-room house illuminated by candles. There were only three people in the room. Although all of them were Americans, the conversation was not in English. The only woman in the room sat on a tall wooden chair next to what appeared to be a wooden post in the center of the room. She seemed to be around fifty years old, the freckles on her tanned face complementing her light brown eyes and dark auburn hair. She was more captivating than pretty. She had on a colorful floor-length dress known in Africa as a Gomesi, except that she was not in Africa. She was neither skinny nor heavy, and wore matching bead necklace and earrings that made her look more like a gypsy.

Across from her, the man who called for the meeting was sitting on a short plastic chair. He was sweating. He looked much older than his forty-three years, with nicotine-stained teeth. He could have been handsome once. He was slightly shorter than the woman. Although he was also tanned, his tan seemed unnatural, as if it was painted on his skin. He was pleading with her for another chance.

"Mr. Ivanov, we had a deal," she said firmly in a language that he didn't understand. He had to wait for the third person in the room, a teenager not much older than his own son, seated to the side between them, to translate before continuing to plead his case. As the night wore on, the man's Eastern European accent became heavier, making his English harder to understand. Several times during the conversation, the teenager had to ask him to repeat himself before translating his words back to the auburn-haired woman.

"I know we had a deal," The man begged. "That's why I'm here to explain."

"There is nothing to explain. I kept my part of the bargain and made you rich. Now you have to keep your part," the woman said, harshly.

"But I already gave you my wife…" He began to argue, when she interrupted him. Although she was using a translator, in reality she didn't need to. It's just that she preferred it that way.

"The deal was that I was to make you wealthy, and, in return, you would give me one person related to you every year for five years. If you didn't, it was going to be you. You gave me your wife. Now you have four more to go," she told him firmly. As she talked, a sudden wind draft came into the room from the small front door that was ajar, making a noise like a whistle and causing the candle lights to flicker. As the lights wavered, the woman's shadow swung back and forth on the corner wall, frightening him.  
>"I don't have any more relatives. I have a girlfriend and you said because I'm not married to her, I can't give her to you."<p>

"It has to be your relative either by blood or marriage," she insisted. Then she asked, "Why don't you marry her?"

"I already asked. She said she wasn't ready," he replied.

"You have two months left or it's going to be you," she said. "I thought you had a son," she added.

"You mean, Peter?" The man said, horrified. "He's young and he's a good kid," he started to explain.

"That's not my problem. You have to honor your agreement with me."

The conversation lasted another five minutes and when it ended, the man had reluctantly agreed to keep the bargain. After the meeting, the man quickly got up and walked out of the door. He wanted to be as far away as possible from the place. He wanted to go home, but there was no airport in the small town. Even if his chauffeur took him to the main airport, which was a couple of hours away, it was too late. The airport had already closed for the night. He swore under his breath when he realized that he had to spend one more night in this dreaded country.

After the man left, the woman remained seated for a few minutes, her eyes now closed. The teenager, who already knew the routine, got up and went to a table at the corner of the room. He grabbed a flask that was half full of Clairin, an alcoholic drink made by the locals, and brought it to the woman. She took two large gulps of the Clairin, causing her body to shake in convulsions for a few seconds.

Then she opened her eyes as if she was waking up from a dream. When she saw the teenager standing in front of her, the voodoo priestess smiled at her son.

"What happened?" She asked, still in a fog.

"Mr. Ivanov was here," the teenager responded. "He agreed to give a life to the spirit."

The voodoo priestess remained silent for a few seconds before addressing her son again, "You see Marc, it's not the spirits. It's money that is the root of all evils."

When the son didn't respond, she got up, put the flask back on the table and said, "Let's go home, it's getting late."

They then exited the house, closed the front door, and got into the new silver Mercedes that was parked in front of the small house in the secluded beachfront compound and drove away. She could have spent the night in the main house there, but she needed to be back home. She was meeting the President of the country for brunch at the presidential palace in the country's capital the next morning, and she didn't want to be late.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Promise me you'll call me as soon as you get there," Sabrina Jacobs' mother was telling Sabrina, as she gave Sabrina a very long hug in front of the security gate at the Miami International Airport. It was as if it was the last time she was going to see Sabrina.

"Mom, I have to go. They're going to board soon," Sabrina replied. It was the same airport scene every summer since Sabrina was thirteen years old. Before then, her mother always came with her on the flights to deliver her to her father, no matter where Sabrina's father was.

"OK, I'll wait for your call," her mother finally said, as she let her go. Sabrina then grabbed the backpack that was on the floor next to them and rushed to the gate. As she was going through the security check, the boarding call came on the airport's speakers, causing Sabrina to worry that she might miss the flight. Fortunately, it was early Saturday morning and the airport was less crowded than usual, which allowed Sabrina to reach the boarding gate just when the first class passengers were boarding the airplane.

Sabrina's seat was in the second row and always by the window as she liked. She didn't know how her father, who was always very busy, could remember this small detail. But she was grateful. As a regular first class passenger, Sabrina was familiar with the extra attention that she, along with other first class passengers, received from stewardesses whenever she traveled with her mother by plane. However, this morning was different. Sabrina could not lift a finger without someone coming quickly to see if she needed something, and she knew why. This always happened whenever she was visiting her father, regardless of the country he was sent to. Two years ago, it was Congo, and years before that, Senegal. It was as if her father's influence extended even to the small confines of the first class section of the aircraft.

This morning, as a flight attendant came to offer service to Sabrina one last time before takeoff, Sabrina felt as if she had a sign on her forehead, stating that she was the daughter of Dr. Jack Jacobs, the American Ambassador to Haiti, and that everyone had to be on their guard. Even though the flight to Haiti was less than two hours, for Sabrina, who liked to be left alone, it was going to be a very long flight.

Suddenly Sabrina's cellphone chirped, indicating that she had received a text message. Without looking, she knew it was Peter Ivanov. She wanted to talk to him, but the flight attendant had already ordered that all cellphones be turned off.

It was only 9:00 am and Sabrina was tired from the night before, when she, Peter, her best friend Judy Allen and another friend from her high school had gone to a late night movie together. When Peter took her home, Peter had confessed his love for her. She knew she loved Peter too, but she didn't tell Peter. She was afraid the relationship would not last. She and Peter were so different, like her father and mother, whose marriage only lasted three years.

Sabrina had one more year left of high school and wanted to go to college to become an expert in languages and a diplomat like her father. Peter, on the other hand, had not graduated from high school. Instead, he had left high school early and taken his GED, and then had concentrated on his programming career. Peter was eighteen years old now, one year older than Sabrina, and had become one of the best computer security experts in the world, with expertise in the development of government anti-hacking systems and firewalls.

Sabrina closed her eyes for one second. She was missing him already. She must have been really tired because when she opened her eyes, the plane was already preparing to land at the Port-au-Prince International Airport, in the capital of Haiti.

##

Like many airports in the Caribbean, the Port-au-Prince International Airport looked more like a regional airport than the international airport that it was. The airport terminal was a small green three-story building, with no jetway. What the airport lacked in sophistication, however, it made up for in many other ways, from the friendly greetings that the passengers received from airport staff, to the lively kompa music being played by smiling musicians using cowbells, drums, and conga instruments as travellers stepped off the plane.

That morning was no different. When the plane landed, the musicians, wearing blue guayaberas, were already in full swing. As soon as the plane came to a stop, a motorcade of black SUVs rushed in and screeched to a halt in front of the portable stairs that the airport staff had attached to the door of the plane. Sabrina, who was watching the scene from her window, already knew the drill. The first-class passengers would be allowed to disembark first, but not until the motorcade had collected its passenger.

On cue, Sabrina got up, grabbed her backpack from the overhead compartment and walked off the plane. As soon as she was out, her father, who was sitting on the passenger side of the second SUV, came out with open arms toward Sabrina. He was wearing black slacks, a light blue shirt under a dark blue blazer, with no tie. He wrapped his arms around Sabrina and held her for a few minutes. Sabrina was happy to see him. The last time Sabrina had seen her father was during Christmas week, more than five months ago.

Finally, he released her and for the first time he spoke and said, "Sabrina, today is a great day. I have my little girl with me. There is nothing better I could wish for."

"I'm glad to see you too, dad," Sabrina replied. While they were still on the tarmac, an immigration officer came and stamped Sabrina's passport, while a member of her father's security detail carried her backpack to the back of her father's SUV.

"You're almost taller than me!" Her father exclaimed, looking at Sabrina. Sabrina didn't respond. Her father had been saying that since Sabrina was six years old. In reality, Sabrina was five foot seven inches, while her father was slightly over six feet.

Sabrina admired her father greatly, which had caused some tension between Sabrina and her mother. While her mother was well-off due to a large inheritance her mother had received from Sabrina's maternal grandfather, who used to own a chain of laundry stores, Sabrina's father was not. On the other hand, Sabrina's father spoke more than seven languages and held a doctorate in multicultural studies. He had pursued his dream of becoming a great diplomat, and had succeeded. In one sense, Sabrina was like her father, someone who never cared much about money.

"Sabrina, today you're going to be the most beautiful girl in the presidential palace," her father said as they were getting in the SUV.

Seeing Sabrina's puzzled look, Sabrina's father laughed and said, "The President has invited you and me for a brunch at the presidential palace. We have to be there in a couple of hours."

Sabrina was disappointed. She was not in a mood for formal festivities. "Do we have to go?" She asked.

"We can't turn down the President," her father answered. "Besides, I want to show him how beautiful and smart my daughter is. If I don't show up with you, he'll think that I've been lying about you and your looks."

Sabrina always knew that she bore a strong resemblance to her very handsome father. She had the same gray eyes and black hair, and both had olive skin due to her late paternal grandmother, who was Italian. However, Sabrina's mother always joked that Sabrina's striking looks were due to Sabrina's oval face, which was the only physical feature that Sabrina had gotten from her mother. Sabrina, who was still undeterred by her father's compliment, and who wanted to spend time with her father, said, "I didn't bring any clothes."

Her father then looked at the blue shorts and the short white blouse that Sabrina was wearing and said laughingly, "You can say that again."

"I'm serious dad," Sabrina argued.

"You don't have to worry about clothes," her father finally said. "I have everything under control."

"Dad, you didn't go shopping for me again like you did in December, did you?"

"Not this time," her father replied with a smile. He still remembered Sabrina's stunned look when she saw the clothes that he had purchased for her on her last visit.

Sabrina had said at that time, "Thank you, dad. But don't you think that these clothes are for people who live in a convent?"

"This time, Linda helped me shop for you and we got some great clothes for you to wear for the summer."

"Great," Sabrina muttered. Then turning to her dad, she said, "I can't wait to meet Linda. You've been talking about her constantly for several months now."

Sabrina's observation caused her father to reply, "Linda has a great sense of humor. You'll like her." Then looking more serious, he added, "I would encourage you to spend some time with her. Since you want to get into multi-cultural studies in college, she might be able to give you some guidance."

"What is she doing in Haiti?" Sabrina asked her father.

"Linda has a doctorate in comparative religion. She used to teach comparative religion classes at New Orleans University. Fifteen years ago, she came to Haiti when she was hired by the Haitian government and never left. "

Sabrina, who was now curious, then asked, "Why was she hired? Why did she leave her job in the states to come here?"

"Well, hired is not the proper word. You see, for years the Haitian government has been trying to promote a better understanding of Haitian culture. For example, when people think of Haiti, they think about voodoo and zombies that you see in films eating people, and the Haitian government is trying to correct these false stereotypes."

"How?" Sabrina asked.

"Because of Linda's sterling professional reputation, the government wanted her to come and study Haitian culture and to tell the world accurately about it, to dispel common misconceptions. So, they sponsored her studies." Her father then paused before adding, "You seem curious about this."

"Yes, I would like to be able to learn about these things and maybe write about my experience on my college application early next year. That may help me get admitted," replied Sabrina.

"That's true," her father agreed. "You can ask Linda about it when you see her today. She's going to be at the brunch at the presidential palace as well." Then her father asked with a wink, "How is your boyfriend?"

The question caused Sabrina to blush. "I don't have a boyfriend," she retorted.

"I can see why you're uncomfortable," her father said.

"I am not uncomfortable," Sabrina protested.

"I would be if I was dating the son of my mother's boyfriend," her father replied. "I was seventeen years old once. I saw the way you and Peter looked at each other the last time I saw you together."

When Sabrina didn't respond, her father then asked, "Is your mother getting remarried?"

"I don't know. She told me that Mr. Ivanov had asked, but that she told him that she wasn't ready."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The US embassy was located within a few minutes of the airport. Unlike many other roads in Haiti, the road to the U.S. embassy was kept in good repair, which explained the smooth drive to their destination. The US embassy was comprised of several buildings. The main building was three stories high and looked more like a fortress than a building that housed the official residence of the US Ambassador. In fact, it was both. Built in 2008, it contained the most advanced security systems. The building's lack of architectural beauty was softened by the beautiful landscape. When they reached the residence of the Ambassador, which occupied part of the top floor of the main building, Sabrina's father guided Sabrina to her room, and they talked some more for a few minutes before he left to answer an urgent call.

As promised, Sabrina then called her mother to tell her of her trip. The call lasted less than five minutes. After she hung up with her mother, Sabrina then called Peter on his cell phone. He picked up on the first ring with a joyous voice, prompting Sabrina to ask, "Why are you so happy? Is it because I left?"

"Don't say that. I'm missing you and I've been waiting for your call." Then Peter paused as if he wanted to tell Sabrina something.  
>"What is it, Peter?" Sabrina asked.<p>

"Oh, nothing, " Peter finally said.

Sabrina could sense that Peter was hiding something from her. "Peter, I know you're not telling

me something. What is it?" Sabrina asked.

"I can't tell you yet. It's a surprise," Peter replied undecidedly.

"You know I don't like surprises," Sabrina argued.

"Yes, you do. I promise I will tell you soon," Peter vowed.

"OK," Sabrina said, reluctantly agreeing to wait.

Sabrina and Peter then spoke about Sabrina's plans for the summer, including her intention to ask Linda to teach her more about voodoo and the Haitian culture. They spent about an hour on the phone until Sabrina's father came and knocked on Sabrina's door to tell her that they would be leaving soon for the brunch.

"I'll call you when I get back," Sabrina promised Peter.

"I love you Sabrina," Peter replied, before Sabrina hung up.

Peter had to restrain himself. He wanted it to be a real surprise and that's why he could not tell Sabrina that Peter's father had scheduled a trip for the two of them to visit Haiti in a couple of weeks. Peter was still thinking about Sabrina when his father, with a sad look on his face, came to his room and said, "Peter, we need to talk. Your life is in grave danger and it's my fault."

##

Destroyed during the 2010 earthquake, the newly rebuilt presidential palace looked like a replica of the White House in the United States, with huge columns that rose to the ceiling, while reflections of elegant chandeliers could be seen on the shiny white marble floor. Dignitaries on official visits were met at a spectacular entrance under tall white portico columns and guided to the beautiful main hall in the interior of the building, where a massive, stylish, double-curved staircase led up to the second floor.

Sabrina and her father were fifteen minutes early and were taken to a small but stately reception room on the second floor, where several senators and ministers were already gathered. Sabrina was wearing an off-white linen jacket with matching pants. She was surprised that she liked the clothes that Linda had left for her in her closet. Her lipstick was a light brown shade, which made her look slightly older.

When Sabrina and her father entered the room, a faint beat of music from Les Difficiles, a Haitian band from the past, could be heard coming from the ceiling speakers. Several of the dignitaries who recognized her father then came toward them. Her father was wearing the same pants and jacket that he had worn earlier at the airport, but had exchanged his blue shirt for a white linen shirt. As he introduced Sabrina to the President's friends, Sabrina was surprised to see that they already knew about her, her high school and her plans for college, and were asking her about them. She realized that her father was not kidding when he told her last week that he had talked to all of his friends about her. While Sabrina was being introduced to the people in the room, waiters were passing by with trays of succulent sausages and plantains, reminding Sabrina that she was hungry.

As her father was talking to one of the new justices on the Haitian Supreme Court, she felt someone touch her arm gently from the back. Although she never saw her before, when she turned, she knew it was Linda. Linda was wearing a long blue silk dress and had long black hair, which was in a ponytail. Her eyes were kind and she had a disarming smile that would make anyone feel at ease around her.

"Sabrina, I couldn't wait to meet you. I'm Linda," she said.

"I'm glad to meet you Dr. Arden," Sabrina replied.  
>"It's Linda to you," Linda said, pretending that she had been offended. "Let's leave your dad and Justice Emmanuel to talk about politics. Let me take you on a tour of the building," Linda added.<p>

When Sabrina hesitated, Linda said "Don't worry, we won't be late for the brunch. The President is not even in the building yet. " Then changing the subject, Linda said, "You look just like your father, except prettier." Sabrina liked Linda already. Linda seemed not to care about formalities, judging by the type of open shoes she had on her feet, and the bead necklace she wore around her neck. "Your father told me that you want to learn as much as you can about Haiti this summer," Linda said, as they stepped away from Sabrina's father, who turned and winked at them before continuing his conversation.

"Yes. I'm getting ready for college and I thought that it might help on my college application," Sabrina replied.

Then Linda grabbed Sabrina's arm like an older sister and said, "Come. There is a lot to see and learn in this building about Haiti. Let me show you."

Linda then took Sabrina to a large room down the hallway that looked like a museum. Beautiful paintings were hanging on one wall. Some showed Haitian vendors selling goods at the market place, some showed Haitians dancing at different voodoo ceremonies, and others depicted the ocean and the Haitian landscape.

"These are the paintings of some of Haiti's most famous painters," Linda explained, before telling Sabrina about the works of internationally known Haitian painters such as Philomé Obin, Rigaud Benoit , and Hector Hyppolite. Sabrina was impressed.

"How did you learn so much about Haiti?" Sabrina asked.

"Haiti is a poor country and you can see the suffering that people go through every day. But there is also another side to Haiti. A side that reveals the beauty, the resilience and the imagination of the Haitian people. This is the side that I came here several years ago to learn and write about, the side that is not reported on television." When Sabrina remained silent, Linda, pointing to another wall that was adorned with black and white photos, said, "These are photos of Haiti's past presidents. Now let's talk about Haiti's political history.

They spent about fifteen minutes in the room until they heard sirens coming from outside the gates of the palace, prompting Linda to say, "Let's go back. The President has just returned from his trip to the countryside."

As they were walking back to the main reception room, Linda said, "I know you want to ask me about voodoo. Don't worry, you can ask me later today on our way to Leogane."

"Leogane?" Sabrina asked, confused.

"Your father didn't tell you? " Linda asked, perplexed. You and your father will be spending the next two days with me at my beachfront house in Leogane, a city that is south of the capital."

The brunch was very festive and Sabrina, who was the youngest person at the brunch, received

many compliments from the people present, including the President and his wife. When Sabrina left the presidential palace, she was in a good mood. Little did she know that Peter had already left several messages for her at the embassy and that he had some unsettling news to give her.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Upon Sabrina's return to the embassy, Sabrina received a message from one of the maids that Peter had called. She faulted herself for forgetting to give Peter and her mother the number of the new cell phone that her father had given her to use in Haiti.

When she called Peter, Peter's happy mood from the morning had vanished. "Are you Ok?" She asked.

"Something weird happened after I talked to you," Peter replied.

"What is it?" Sabrina asked.

"It's a long story. You see, after my dad and mom divorced, my dad remarried and we moved from California to Fort Lauderdale to be close to his new wife's family."

"I didn't know that's why you moved to Florida," Sabrina said.

"Yes, but we don't talk about it much because she left my dad for another man after two months and took all his money."

"But your father has money," Sabrina interjected. "Did your father get the money back after they divorced?" Sabrina asked.

"Not really, they didn't divorce. Several weeks after she left, I heard that she started to get sick and her speech had gotten so slurred that people couldn't understand what she was saying."

"Do you think she was faking it?" Sabrina asked.

"I don't know, but I heard she went to several doctors who thought there was something wrong with her brain. But after they did tests, they couldn't find anything," Peter answered.

"So what was wrong with her?" Sabrina asked.

"No one knew," Peter said. "She died a couple of weeks after that."

"I guess she was really sick and the doctors didn't know."

"That's what I think," Peter said. "Anyway, my dad just told me that the reason she died was because he sold her soul to a voodoo spirit."

Peter's last statement surprised Sabrina. After recovering from her shock, Sabrina laughed and asked Peter, "You don't believe that, do you?"

Peter, who didn't laugh, replied, "Of course not. But that's not all he told me."

"So what else did he say?" Sabrina asked, now getting more curious.

"My dad said that after she left him, one day he went to a bar in Miami and met a man, and my dad told him what his wife did and how his wife took his money. The man told my dad there was a way to get back at her and get his money back."

"Don't tell me the man was a voodoo priest?" Sabrina said, skeptically.

"No. But the man took my dad to a voodoo priest where, apparently, the priest called a spirit for my dad. My dad told me that he thought it was a joke and agreed to sell his wife's soul to the spirit. Then, after that, she got sick and died. Two weeks after her death, my father won what was at that time the biggest lottery jackpot in the state."

Sabrina, who didn't believe Peter's father's story, then asked, "What's wrong with your father? Why is he making up a story like that?"

"I don't know," Peter replied. "He looked stressed lately. But that's not all."

"Don't tell me that he told you that his wife has come back as a zombie?" Sabrina joked.  
>"No, but he said that during his meeting with the spirit, the spirit asked for the names of his<p>

relatives and that the spirit said he wanted a soul every year for five years."

"Now the time is up for the second?" Sabrina asked incredulously.  
>"Apparently, yes. My dad now believes that the spirit was real and that if he doesn't follow<p>

through, one of us will be next.  
>"So what do you think?" Sabrina asked Peter, trying to gauge Peter's mindset.<p>

"I think it's a bunch of bull and if my dad believes in this, he will need to see a shrink."

"That's what I think too," Sabrina agreed. "Anyway, I'll be spending some time with my dad's girlfriend who knows a lot about voodoo. Maybe I can get some pointers from her to save you both," Sabrina joked.

"And maybe you can make me win the lottery too," Peter joked back before both hung up.

##

When Linda came to pick them up that evening, Sabrina had just woken up from an afternoon nap. She felt refreshed and couldn't believe all the events that had happened already on her first day in Haiti. After she spoke to Peter earlier, she spoke to her mother and got her mother very upset when Sabrina told her that she wanted to know more about voodoo and to write about it.

"Can't you learn something else?" Her semi-religious mother had asked. "Getting into voodoo is not something you want to do because it's not what God would want."

"I cannot talk about the Haitian culture without talking about voodoo," Sabrina protested. "What you're thinking about is what you see in the movies. My dad told me of a proverb that says that Haiti is ninety percent Catholic and one hundred percent Voodoo. So if I have to write about my experience in Haiti, I have to write about voodoo as well."

Sabrina and her mother then argued for an additional ten minutes. When Sabrina realized that she couldn't convince her mother, she gave up and decided that she would not talk to her mother anymore about her interest in voodoo.

When Sabrina left her bedroom, after her nap, everyone was sitting in the living room waiting for her. In the room, besides Linda and her father, there were also two other boys who seemed to be Sabrina's age. One was very good-looking and reminded Sabrina of the high school baseball player she had a crush on when she was in ninth grade, and who never noticed her because he was busy chasing girls on the cheerleading squad.

"This is Ronald, my son," Linda said, introducing the handsome boy, "and this is his best friend Marc. "

After the introductions, they talked another five minutes about the plans for the next two days, before departing for Leogane.

They were in Linda's large blue Lexus SUV. Ronald was driving and his friend Marc sat in the front passenger seat, while Sabrina, her father and Linda sat in the back. Linda sat in the middle between the two of them. The road surface was in bad shape, causing Ronald to drive around several pot holes, while avoiding numerous Haitian Tap-Taps, which were large and colorful passenger buses.

"Sabrina, what did you want to ask me about voodoo?" Linda asked.

Sabrina, who didn't expect the question and didn't have time to think, said, "I'm not sure yet." Sabrina then thought for one moment to figure out what she wanted to learn, and then finally asked, "What are zombies? Do they exist?"

Sabrina's question prompted Linda to laugh, and addressing Sabrina's father, Linda said, "I like this girl. She gets right to the point. "

"I told you," Sabrina's father mockingly warned Linda.

Instead of answering Sabrina, Linda turned to Marc, who was sitting up front, and asked, "what do you think Marc?"

"Me?" Marc asked, as if not understanding the question. Sabrina was also confused. Sabrina had learned earlier that like herself, both Ronald and Marc had just finished their junior year in high school. She could not understand why Marc would know more on the subject than Linda.

"Don't be shy, Marc. Your mother told me that you have gone through the Kanzo process," Linda said. Seeing the confusion on Sabrina's face, Linda continued, "Marc's mother is married to the brother of the President and they own a beachfront villa next to mine. Both are practitioners of the voodoo religion. Marc's mother was supposed to be at the brunch at the presidential palace today, but she had to cancel because her husband was not feeling well."

"So, what's a kanzo?" Sabrina asked, getting more curious.

"Kanzo is the second level of initiation that someone goes through before becoming a voodoo priest," Linda explained. When Linda saw Sabrina looking at Marc, puzzled, Linda continued, "There is a misconception that voodoo is only practiced by poor Haitians. It's because most Haitians are poor. However, voodoo is a religion also practiced by wealthy and educated people who are attracted by the mystery surrounding the spirits that appear in voodoo ceremonies. It does not matter whether you are Haitian, or black or white. In fact, besides Marc's mother, there have been several famous white American voodoo priests living in Haiti."

"Do zombies really exist?" Sabrina asked, still looking for an answer to her question.

"Of course," Linda answered. "There have been prominent cases of zombification in the past. I don't know if you've heard of Felicia Felix-Mentor and Clairvius Narcisse. They were dead and buried but were seen alive years later. Apparently, they were released from where they were being held, after the people who had turned them into zombies died. However, this type of voodoo is rare and is practiced by less than 5% of voodoo priests. The most common form of voodoo is called Rada and that's what most Haitians practice," Linda explained before adding, "If you have any more questions about voodoo, you can ask also Marc or his mother when you see her this weekend."

After Linda finished her explanation, Linda leaned her head on the shoulder of Sabrina's father, who was sleeping, and slept herself, leaving Sabrina with more questions. Sabrina looked at the back of Marc's head and realized that for someone like Marc who knew so much about voodoo practices, he had not said a word, which made Sabrina wonder if he was hiding something.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When Peter's father woke up that morning, it was the first time that he had felt at peace since his meeting with the voodoo priestess in April. After that meeting, and as the days and weeks had passed, he had gotten more and more depressed. The spirit had told him during the meeting that he had two months left to give Peter or himself up. Since he didn't have any intention of honoring the spirit's request, he had to find a way to save himself and Peter. Although he knew that the first voodoo priest that he had met in Miami had passed away, he went back to the house, hoping that another voodoo priest had moved in. When that didn't work, he went several times to the bar where he first met the man who had taken him to the voodoo priest in Miami, hoping to find the man and ask him for help. He had promised himself that no matter how, he would save himself and Peter. What made things worse, however, was that Peter didn't believe him. Peter's life was in grave danger and Peter didn't even realize it.

Peter's father was feeling at peace today, because he had finally located the man from the bar, and he was meeting the man today. The man had promised to take him to another voodoo priest who might be able to help. There were only a few weeks left before the expiration of the two-month period that the spirit had given him. He knew that he had to hurry because in the last few days, once in a while, his speech would get slurred. He recognized the symptom because the same thing had happened to his wife a few weeks before her death.

##

Located less than twenty miles from Port-au-Prince, the city of Leogane looked like a ghost town, with remnants of destroyed houses stretching all across the fields that bordered the gravel road that led to the seaside area.

As if he were reading Sabrina's thoughts, Ronald explained that Leogane was the city that suffered the most damage during the 2010 earthquake.

"Ninety percent of the houses in Leogane were destroyed," Ronald said. "Most of the people left and never returned. They couldn't afford to rebuild their houses." Marc, who was silently riding in the front passenger seat, nodded his head in agreement.

"That's sad," Sabrina said, distressed by the ruined properties that she had seen.

"I know. The government wants to help but doesn't have the money," replied Ronald. Then several minutes later, turning onto another road that led to a cul-de-sac, he announced that they had reached their destination.

The house could not be seen from the road. It was hidden by tall walls that surrounded the property. They waited in the car for a few seconds until a young man came out and opened the large front gate to allow them to drive in. "That's Jean Robert. He and his wife work for my mother," Ronald told Sabrina, as he waved to the man.

Linda's place was a salmon-colored two-story Mediterranean-style house with a circular driveway and arched doorways and windows. It had an airy interior with beautiful exotic looking tiles, and four bedrooms, all on the second floor. The back of the house had both a large porch on the first floor, and a beautiful balcony on the second floor, overlooking the ocean. The two-acre property contained many fruit trees, including mangoes and guavas, and several other trees that Sabrina didn't recognize. It was a beautiful place, Sabrina admitted to herself.

By the time they sat down for supper, it was getting late and Marc had already gone home. However, Sabrina had many questions for Marc about Rada voodoo and planned to ask them tomorrow at a late afternoon party that Marc's parents were hosting for Sabrina and her father. Remembering now her conversation with Peter, Sabrina wanted to ask whether selling somebody's soul was part of voodoo beliefs. Although she did not believe it herself, she wanted to know what a voodoo practitioner believed, to accurately write about it. Maybe, in the process, she would discover the history of these silly superstitions, she thought.

##

They only knew each other by their first names. To the man from the bar, Peter's father was simply Dimitri. He similarly had introduced himself to Peter's father as Lionel. Dimitri doubted that it was the man's real name. In their first meeting, at a luxurious bar in an affluent section of Fort Lauderdale, the man had said that he was born in Haiti, had lived in Fort Lauderdale ever since he came from Haiti more than a decade ago, and now worked for the city's sanitation department. However, when Dimitri tried to locate the man several weeks after his conversation with the voodoo priestess in Haiti, he had called the city's sanitation department and they had told him that no one by the name of Lionel had ever worked there. The man never gave Dimitri his last name nor talked much about himself. Now, after an exhaustive search, when Dimitri finally saw the man again at another bar of a very expensive hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Dimitri was baffled that the man could afford drinks at a place where one shot cost more than most people's hourly wages. Since the man never asked Dimitri for money and had refused to even let Dimitri pay for his drink, Dimitri was content not to ask too many questions because he wanted the man's help.

"Five souls?" The man had repeated, surprised, when Dimitri had told him about what had happened. "Why didn't you bargain with the spirit?" He had asked Dimitri.

"I thought it was a joke," Dimitri had replied.

"I see," the man had said, tactfully. The man seemed to be in his mid-thirties and was wearing a blue blazer, which slightly covered his expensive watch.

"OK, I'm going to help you. I know of a voodoo priest who can help people in your situation. Meet me here at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow and I will take you to him," the man had promised before leaving.

Dimitri would have been even more baffled if he had been in front of the hotel when the hotel's valet retrieved the man's Rolls-Royce for him. However, he was still sitting at the bar, content that this mysterious man was going to help him one more time.

##

When Sabrina woke up the next morning, it was already almost 9:30 a.m. She could faintly hear her father's laugh coming from behind the house, over the rushing sound of the ocean waves. Since her bedroom faced the street up front, she could not see her father from her bedroom window, and she had forgotten that, in Haiti, people tended to get up very early. Sabrina then took a quick shower and rushed downstairs, not wanting to miss out on anything on her first full day in Leogane. When she reached the back terrace, she noticed for the first time the two circular marble tables surrounded by half-circle benches. Her father and Linda were seated at one table and were having breakfast, while Ronald, Marc and another girl with auburn hair were seated at the other table playing an unfamiliar card game called bezigue.

As she approached, both her father and Linda looked up and smiled, and Linda said, "I hope you slept well. Come meet Jackie, Marc's sister, and have breakfast with us." Both Jackie and Marc had light hazel eyes. However, that was where the resemblance stopped. While Marc had very fair skin, Jackie's olive skin was a result of the biracial marriage of their parents. While Jackie was attractive and thin, Marc was average-looking and heavy. Sabrina and Jackie hit it off right away. Jackie was one year older than Sabrina and had just finished high school, and Sabrina was pleased to learn that Jackie was going to attend a college in Boca Raton, which was very close to Sabrina's mother's house. After breakfast, while Ronald and Marc went to a nearby town with Linda and Sabrina's father to shop for food and other supplies, Sabrina and Jackie stayed behind.

"Marc told me that you were asking Linda questions about voodoo," Jackie said to Sabrina.

"Yes, I wanted to ask Marc about it too, because Linda told me that he has been initiated," Sabrina said. Sabrina's statement caused Jackie to laugh, which made Sabrina wonder whether she had said something wrong.  
>"It's not a big deal. Marc did it for the money," Jackie said. Then looking at Sabrina's confused expression, Jackie clarified, "Whenever my parents have voodoo ceremonies and we work in the peristyle, my parents pay us. They think…"<p>

"What's a peristyle?" Sabrina asked, interrupting Jackie.

"That's the voodoo temple, the place where they do the ceremonies," Jackie replied. "Anyway, we didn't want my parents to think that we were helping just for the money. So, like my brother, I went through the initiations, and my parents think that we like this stuff."

"You don't like it?" Sabrina inquired.

"I guess so," Jackie said, nonchalantly, while shrugging her shoulders. "It's like my mom says, if you get a degree in archeology, you are not a real archeologist until you go on your first dig. It's one thing to read books about voodoo, but it's another to experience it."

"Why do your parents do it? Do they make money from it?" Sabrina asked, now excited that she might learn everything she needed to learn from Jackie.

"If people made money from voodoo, all Haitians would be rich. Voodoo is a religion. It's like asking why someone goes to church," Jackie said. "Actually," Jackie continued, "my mom was from Tennessee. She met my dad when she went to study at Florida State University on some kind of scholarship. My dad graduated from there also with a degree in engineering. After graduation, my dad and my mom got married, and my dad returned to Haiti with my mom and opened a chain of restaurants called Burger Queen. The funny part is that the restaurants don't even sell hamburgers. When that became successful, then they opened a chain of department stores called Century stores, which also became profitable. That's how they make their money. It's not from voodoo," Jackie added with a chuckle.

"Your parents accomplished a lot," Sabrina said.

"Well, it helped that my dad is the brother of the President," Jackie continued. Both Jackie and Sabrina were sitting on large colorful towels on the sandy beach, enjoying the smell of the sea air, when Jackie suddenly asked, "Do you want to see the peristyle?"

"Oh yeah," Sabrina replied, excited.

"Come on, let's go," Jackie said, as she and Sabrina got up. "We have three hours before the little party my parents are having for you and your dad this afternoon. By the time we finish our tour, you will be ready to write a lot about voodoo on your college application."

As Sabrina followed Jackie to the rear gate of her parents' property, which was next to Linda's, Sabrina remembered her mother telling her to stay away from voodoo, and that it was devil worship. Sabrina liked Jackie and didn't want to offend her. However, her mother's statement caused Sabrina to make a mental note to ask Jackie about it when the opportunity was right.

##

It was 2:05 p.m. when the man known to Dimitri as Lionel entered the hotel's reception area to meet with him. Although the man was only five minutes late for his appointment with Dimitri, those five minutes had made Dimitri feel like he was doomed. For one thing, if the man didn't show up, Dimitri wouldn't know how to reach him. He didn't have the man's phone number or address.

"Sorry I'm late. The traffic was really bad today," Lionel apologized.

"I wasn't worried. I knew you would keep your word," Dimitri lied.

"The houngan is waiting for us in Immokalee, which is slightly over an hour from here," Lionel told Dimitri.

"The houngan?" Dimitri asked, waiting for clarification.

"A voodoo priest is called a houngan and a voodoo priestess, a mambo," Lionel explained. "Yesterday, when I told the priest what you wanted, he gave me a list of items to buy for the voodoo ceremony for you. I didn't know where to reach you so, to save time, I bought them and sent them to the voodoo priest this morning. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? You're kidding? I'm grateful that you would do that for me," Dimitri said, profusely thanking Lionel. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing. You would have done the same thing for me," Lionel said. "The priest told me that once your soul is sold to the spirit, all you can do is to exchange your soul for another soul. The soul of an animal like a chicken may also work. If the spirit agrees to the exchange, then you are set free." Then Lionel asked, "Are you ready to go? I'll take you there."

When Dimitri got into Lionel's Toyota and noticed two baby car seats in the back, he realized how much he didn't know about Lionel. Lionel never talked about a wife or kids. Taking a second look at the car seats, Dimitri asked, "How many children do you have?"

"I don't have any. I'm using a friend's car. My car is in the shop. Like you, my wife left me long time ago and I swore that I would never get married again and I never did."

They talked some more about Lionel's life in Haiti prior to moving to the United States. The more Lionel talked about his life, the clearer it became to Dimitri that Lionel didn't like to talk about himself. Lionel told him that he was an orphan and didn't have any family and only remembered living in some old orphanage in Haiti that closed long ago. By the time they reached Immokalee, Dimitri hadn't learned any more about Lionel than he had known before, which was almost nothing.

##

Immokalee was located northwest of Fort Lauderdale, and was home to a large Mexican and Haitian population who worked mostly in farming. Although it was not far in distance, it was far from the luxuries and convenience of Fort Lauderdale or Miami. When they reached the priest's voodoo temple, which was built in the middle of a large cornfield, a lot of people dressed in red could be seen coming in and out of the peristyle. The temple was an old building that looked more like a miniature sports stadium, where people were dancing in the middle of the floor to the sound of African musical instruments being played by members of the temple. As directed, Lionel and Dimitri stayed outside the temple for more than thirty minutes before they were finally summoned to enter.

When they entered the temple, Dimitri noticed that the young priest's eyes were all red, which Dimitri attributed to too much alcohol. The voodoo priest recognized Lionel and said, "Ayi Bobo", which Lionel explained was a form of salutation. The ceremony lasted over an hour, and by the time it was over, all of the items that Lionel had purchased for the ceremony were used up. The chicken was slaughtered and Dimitri was required to drink some of the blood. To Dimitri's profound relief, the spirit agreed to accept the chicken sacrifice. When the ceremony ended, the spirit told Dimitri that he would no longer die.

By the time Dimitri left the voodoo priest, his slur was gone. It was the first time in days that Dimitri could talk without fear of mumbling his words, and also the first time in months that Dimitri felt like things were turning around.

After Lionel dropped him off at the hotel to pick up his car, Dimitri grabbed his cell phone and called Peter. He wanted to share the good news with him. The phone rang three times before Peter was able to pick up.

The cell phone reception seemed spotty, so Dimitri couldn't understand everything that Peter was saying. Finally, Dimitri said, "I will see you soon. I'm coming home and will explain what happened today." However, Dimitri's relief was short-lived when, to his horror, he heard Peter say, "It's not the reception Dad. For the past hour, my speech has been slurry and that's why it's very hard for you to understand what I'm saying."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When the man known to Dimitri as Lionel reached his luxurious beachfront home in Boca Raton, it was already very late in the afternoon. He parked the Toyota in one of the side garages of the house and sat for a moment in the car, reliving what had happened that day. He only used the Toyota for work and he felt that his work in Immokalee had gone well. It was only a matter of time. He knew he would collect very soon.

When he finally entered the house, his younger brother was waiting for him. "How did it go, Steven?" The brother asked, anxious to learn about the trip to Immokalee and about the next big payout.

"I saved a life today," Steven said to his brother, which prompted his brother to emit a sarcastic laugh. Steven's Haitian accent had evaporated. Even his New Orleans accent was barely noticeable.

"Where does everything stand now?" The brother asked, looking restless.

"Same as before," Steven answered. "The spirit had told Dimitri to give four more souls or it was going to be him. When he didn't deliver and was becoming sick, Dimitri seemed to think that the spirit had decided to take his life in exchange for the four souls. Then he figured that if the spirit agreed to spare his life, he would no longer be required to give the other four souls since the spirit had released him.

"Does he really think that the spirit is that stupid?" Steven's brother asked, with an incredulous look on his face.

"I don't know what he's thinking. I'm just telling you what's going on. In any event, in a couple of weeks, his son will pass and we will have another big payday," Steven reassured his younger brother. Seeing his brother relax at the news, Steven said, "Go get dressed. Let's go to a bar."

"Maybe we might be able to do some soul hunting while we are there," his brother jokingly told him, causing both of them to laugh.

##

Jackie's parent's property was nearly twice as big as Linda's. The main house on the property looked more like an old Caribbean plantation house. It was blue and, although it looked like a wooden house, it wasn't. It was designed and painted to look that way. Each of the five upstairs bedrooms had its own private balcony with views of the ocean, and there were two hammocks on the back porch that overlooked the ocean. Although the elegant dining room was designed for entertaining large parties, Jackie confided that her parents never had parties inside the house. It was more for show. They usually entertained under portable tents on the back terrace.

Like Linda's property, Jackie's parents' property had an abundance of fruit trees. There were two other houses on the property. One was a very small two-bedroom house on left side of the property, where the couple overseeing the property resided. On the right side, sat a one-room house that Jackie described as the peristyle.

"Ready to see inside the temple?" Jackie asked Sabrina. When Sabrina hesitated, Jackie guessed what she was thinking. "Don't worry, I've done it before. My parents don't mind. In fact, they're not even home. They had something to do in the town nearby.

"It looks kind of primitive," Sabrina said. It wasn't what Sabrina had expected. The peristyle was made entirely of straw and looked more like an African village hut, except that it was very large.

"Due to poverty and customs, the majority of peristyles in the country are built this way," Jackie explained. "Sometimes there are ceremonies that are done here for other voodoo priests. So, my dad wanted this to be authentic."

"I still don't understand why your parents do it," Sabrina admitted. My dad thinks it's a bunch of superstitions and my mom says that it's devil worship. As soon as it came out, Sabrina regretted what she said. She didn't want to insult Jackie or be harsh about Jackie's parents' religion.

Instead of being insulted, Jackie laughed and said, "My dad told me that all religions have some form of superstitions, and those who think of voodoo as devil worship are usually ignorant people who formed opinions without knowledge of the religion." Seeing the hurt look on Sabrina's face, Jackie felt bad and added, "I'm not saying that your parents are ignorant. That's just what my dad usually says."

"That's Ok," Sabrina said.

"I didn't mean to offend you, really," Jackie apologized, before addressing Sabrina's question regarding possible devil worship in voodoo.

##

As Jackie and Sabrina were talking about religious superstitions, across town, Sabrina's father was having an animated telephone conversation with Sabrina's mother.

"I just called Sabrina and they told me that she went to visit this woman named Lucy, who owns the house next door to your girlfriend's house.

"So?" Sabrina's father asked, not understanding what the fuss was about.

"Did you know that she and her husband are voodoo priests?"

"Your point?" Sabrina's father asked, now annoyed.

"I don't want my daughter to get involved with people who are into voodoo," Sabrina's mother said firmly.

"Don't you think she is old enough to decide for herself?" he asked, not believing he was having this conversation with Sabrina's mother about people that she had never met.

"Not when it comes to devil worship," she said.

"What are you talking about? Sabrina is not into devil worship. Thank God, Sabrina is not into your religious superstitions either." This last statement caused Sabrina's mother to explode.

"You think you know everything, don't you?" She yelled, sarcastically.

"I don't know where this conversation is going," he interrupted her. "If you want, I will tell Sabrina to call you back. As for our neighbors, Lucy and her husband are great people that I have known for years and I'm not going to sit here and let you insult them because of your crazy delusions."

Sabrina's mother was irate and frustrated. She was so far away and she had hoped that he would listen. "I just had a conversation with Dimitri, who told me that Peter is dying, and all this started to happen after he went to a voodoo ceremony at that house," she told him.

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you. I don't have time to argue with you about old Haitian superstitions. When I met Dimitri, he seemed to be a reasonable man. I should have known that sooner or later your delusions would grow on him. You're wasting my time. This conversation is over," he said angrily, before hanging up the phone.

##

While Sabrina's mother was debating her next step, Sabrina was still with Jackie discussing voodoo practices and beliefs.

"Voodoo is not devil worship," Jackie was saying. "My mom told me that this was propaganda started long ago by people who didn't like voodoo and wanted to convert Haitians to their religions. In voodoo, we believe in one God, which is the same God other religions believe in."

"Really?" Sabrina asked surprised.

"Yes. We call him Bondye, which means Good God, or sometimes Granmet, which means Grand Master. But voodoo people don't go to God directly. God is busy and deals with humans through intermediaries. These intermediaries are the spirits that we call loas."

"What about the zombies?" Sabrina asked. "Linda told me that they exist. I think that's evil."

"I am not saying that there are no evil spirits," Jackie argued. "The making of zombies is extremely rare and it is done in a type of voodoo called Petro, where a voodoo priest gone bad, called a bokor, gives some drugs to a person and turns the person despondent for the rest of the person's life. However, ninety-five percent of voodoo priests practice a type of voodoo called Rada. The central aspect of Rada voodoo is healing people from illness. In Rada voodoo, the spirits are called peaceful and sweet loas and are mostly known for their knowledge of herbal medicines."

"So, Petro voodoo is evil?" Sabrina asked, thinking that her mother might be right concerning this type of voodoo.  
>"No." Jackie said. "As my mom told me once, the power of the Rada loas comes from their wisdom and knowledge of herbal medicines. The power of the Petro loas comes from their knowledge of everything, including how to make money, be good in business, black magic, death curses, and the making of zombies. You have all types of spirits in Petro voodoo, some good ones and some not so good, and even violent ones. Evil spirits exist in Petro voodoo. If you practice Petro voodoo, you just have to stay away from them."<p>

"Do you practice Petro voodoo?" Sabrina asked.

"No. If you want to practice voodoo, be a Rada girl. Petro spirits are too dangerous and finicky for me," Jackie added, before entering the temple and describing the numerous items on the altar to Sabrina.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

By the time Sabrina finished her tour of the temple, she didn't have much time left before the party in the afternoon. She ran back to Linda's house to change. When she got there, her father had already come back from town. He seemed less jovial.

"I just had a conversation with your mother," he told Sabrina. "She wants you to call her."

"Ok. I will do it after the party," Sabrina promised, causing her father to insist, "We're not in a hurry for the party. Call her now because she is very upset. She thinks that there is devil worship going on at Lucy's house during voodoo ceremonies and she doesn't want you to go there."

When Sabrina called her mother, her mother's anger had not abated. "I warned you not to get into that voodoo stuff, and now your dad told me that you went to the house of the neighbors who are voodoo priests," Sabrina's mother said, seeking an explanation.

"Mom, I was with Jackie, the neighbors' daughter, and she was telling me about what they believe."

"I don't want you to get into voodoo. Did you know that these neighbors are very well known voodoo priests, and that Peter's father has been to the property?" Sabrina's mother asked. This revelation surprised Sabrina.

"I didn't know that Mr. Ivanov had been there," Sabrina admitted. "But, it's not what you think," Sabrina argued.

"So, what is it then?"

"What I've learned so far about voodoo is that it's a bunch of superstitions, like Dad says," Sabrina answered, before adding, "Peter told me that Mr. Ivanov has been acting weird and saying crazy stuff. So I'm not surprised that he came here to Haiti to find answers to his problem."

"Don't talk about Dimitri that way," Sabrina's mother said, still angry. "I can't force you to come back to the states, since it's your father's turn to have you. But I'm coming to Haiti to put a stop to this," she said to Sabrina.

"It's not necessary, mom. I've already learned all the things I needed to learn about voodoo. So, I don't know how coming to Haiti will make a difference," Sabrina responded, trying to reason with her mother.

"I know you don't understand what's going on. You're just like your dad, thinking you know everything. So, I've decided to come to Haiti with Dimitri and Peter next week, to make sure this comes to an end," her mother forcefully said.

"Peter is coming to Haiti next week?" Sabrina asked, with a tinge of excitement in her voice.

"Dimitri said that Peter is very sick because of some voodoo spirit, but Peter refuses to believe it. He is only coming because he wants to see you," she said.

"I'll be glad to see him too," Sabrina said, surprised at the news. "What's wrong with Peter?" Sabrina asked with concern.

"His speech is getting more slurred and Dimitri told me that was what happened to his wife before she passed away," replied her mother.

"Peter told me about Mrs. Ivanov earlier and we don't think it was because of voodoo," said Sabrina, who was now getting worried about Peter's health. "I'll call Peter today." Then softening a little bit, she said, "Mom, I don't like to argue with you. You still treat me like a kid. But I can assure you that I'm not into any devil worship."

"I'm glad to hear that but I'm still coming next week. You may not believe in these spirits, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist."

They spoke for another five minutes and then hung up, but Sabrina's efforts to change her mother's views were in vain. Her mother's mind always saw everything in black and white, good versus evil. Sabrina, on the other hand, also saw shades of gray.

When she was at the presidential palace, Sabrina remembered Linda telling her how some Haitian presidents in the past had pretended that they had obtained magical powers through voodoo just to scare the Haitian population into submitting to their will. Sabrina agreed with her father that voodoo practice was based on superstitions. However, after learning about Jackie's parents, she didn't believe that smart and powerful people Like Lucy and her husband were superstitious. Another idea had occurred to Sabrina and she wanted to explore it.

"What if Lucy and her husband were doing what past presidents had done, and were using voodoo to exploit the Haitian people, while pretending to believe in voodoo themselves?" Sabrina asked herself. That sounded reasonable to Sabrina. Since Lucy's husband was the brother of the President, it made sense to Sabrina that they would do that. All these things about Petro voodoo and powerful spirits were just pure nonsense, Sabrina decided. She couldn't wait to go to the party to hear what other fairy tales Lucy and her husband had told Jackie and Marc.

End of Preview.  
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